Oman Air will resume its flights to Maldives for the 2018-19 winter season from October 28, 2018. The service will be operated by the new Boeing 737 aircraft. Oman Air flights from Muscat to Maldives will operate on Sunday, Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday, while the flight from Maldives to Muscat will operate on Sunday, Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday. Well-known for its beaches, blue lagoons and extensive reefs, Maldives, which is 3.5 hours away from Oman, is a popular tourist destination with an increasing number of international visitors arriving year-on-year (YoY). Eng Abdulaziz Al Raisi, CEO, Oman Air said, “We are delighted to be resuming our Maldives route and look forward to welcoming our valued Oman Air guests on board our latest Boeing 737 aircraft. We thoroughly encourage our friends from Europe and the rest of our network, flying to Maldives to stop over and explore Oman en route. Our new Maldives service offers holidaymakers the perfect opportunity to explore Muscat, before escaping to the beautiful shores of Maldives

Hala China has announced that the first Chinese Film Week in Dubai will commence on October 1, 2018, screening some of China’s most popular blockbusters. The event will also bring some of the biggest celebrities and directors in Chinese cinema to the city. China’s cinema audience this year became the biggest in the world, and an unprecedented growth in the past decade has been driven by rising demand for quality entertainment among China’s middle class. In seeking to build on this trend and growing tourism numbers from China, the Chinese Film Week in Dubai will commence with a spectacular red-carpet event on the opening night at Roxy Cinemas in City Walk. Following this, movies to be played during the week include Dragon Blade, Po Feng, Twenties Once Again, The Nightingale, American Dreams in China, Wolf Totem, Monkey King: Hero Is Back, and Big Fish & Begonia. Sheikh Majid Al Mualla, Chairman, Board of Directors at Hala China, said, “The Chinese Film Week in Dubai is one of the first events to take place as part of the Hala China initiative, and is fully aligned with the commercial and tourism objectives of His Highness Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, Vice President and Prime Minister, the UAE and the Ruler of Dubai. We are confident that the event will appeal to Chinese visitors as well as to Dubai’s resident population. It is also a big opportunity to showcase the city’s world-class infrastructure and facilities as the ideal destination for Chinese movie directors and film production houses to base their future projects.” Her Excellency Li Lingbing, Consul-General of the People’s Republic of China in Dubai, said, “China’s film industry, with decades of …

The Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi) is embarking on a three-city roadshow to India to help promote the emirate and encourage more Indian visitors to explore and discover Abu Dhabi. The delegation, including the UAE’s national carrier Etihad Airways, Jet Airways, Yas Experiences, Dusit Thani, Royal Arabian, Air Travel Enterprise, Sofitel and Rotana, will be in India from 17th – 21st September, 2018. The roadshow will commence in New Delhi in northern India before moving on to Chennai and ending in Bengaluru. Mubarak Al Nuaimi, Director Promotions and Overseas Offices, DCT Abu Dhabi, said, “India is a vital tier-one source market for us, providing us more hotel guests each year. In 2017, we recorded spectacular double-digit growth from India and we are already recording further progress from the Indian market since the turn of the year. We are now running a series of roadshows to cities across the country, highlighting the emirate and its attractions. We have excellent air connectivity, with 278 flights a week to Abu Dhabi from 12 Indian destinations.” Bejan Dinshaw, Country Manager India, DCT Abu Dhabi, said, “Our persistent efforts have managed to reinforce India as one of the leading overseas source markets for Abu Dhabi. Our YoY performance has witnessed stupendous growth and this has been possible because of the impressive work done by our trade partners. These roadshows have helped our stakeholders to connect with the regional trade partners, further boosting tourism to the Emirate.” India is currently the second-largest overseas market for Abu Dhabi after China. Last year saw more than 360,000 Indians staying in Abu Dhabi’s 162 hotels and hotel apartments, an increase of more than …

Air Canada is expanding its offering to Dubai with the addition of a fourth, weekly non-stop flight from Toronto, to its regular three-times weekly, year-round service. The seasonal flight will operate between November 2, 2018 and January 2019 using a Boeing 777-300, which offers a best-in-class cabin interior, featuring lie-flat Signature Class seats and a dedicated Premium Economy cabin. From Toronto, Air Canada’s global hub, customers can connect to the US destinations with the ability to pre-clear US customs at Pearson Airport. When departing from Toronto, eligible Signature Class customers can enjoy the Air Canada Signature Suite, which features a la carte dining with a menu created by celebrated Canadian Chef David Hawksworth.

In response to an increased travel demand during autumn school holidays, Emirates today has announced it will operate its A380 between Dubai and St. Petersburg, temporarily replacing the Boeing 777 aircraft, which is currently operating on the route. From October 25, 2018  to October 29, 2018, flights EK 175/176 will be operated by Emirates A380 between Dubai and St. Petersburg’s Pulkovo International Airport, offering 14 Private Suites in First Class, 76 fully flat-bed seats in Business Class and 429 seats in Economy Class. Flight EK175 will depart from Dubai at 15:45 and arrive in St. Petersburg at 20:50, while the return flight, EK176 will leave St. Petersburg at 23:55 and arrive in Dubai at 06:55 the next morning. This will be the first time an A380 has operated to St. Petersburg, demonstrating the extensive work and preparation the airport has undertaken to receive the double-decker aircraft. During this period, passengers departing from St. Petersburg will have the opportunity to experience a wide range of tourist and business destinations on the Emirates network, including Mauritius, Bangkok, Singapore, Hong Kong, Sydney, Melbourne and others. Through its partnership with flydubai, Emirates also provides customers in St. Petersburg with convenient and seamless access to a number of destinations beyond Dubai, including Zanzibar and Kathmandu.

Etihad Airways has partnered with Farelogix to enhance its merchandising and distribution capabilities. The deployment of new generation technology from Farelogix will enable Etihad to provide unique, customised offers to its guests. Etihad’s strategy will focus on broadening ancillary offerings to customers, allowing for more personalised travel options across all distribution channels.  Etihad plans to implement FLX Merchandise, a cloud-based solution from Farelogix, to create personalised product and service propositions that increase customer satisfaction. As the industry’s leading merchandising engine, FLX Merchandise will enable Etihad to showcase optional products such as preferred seats, priority boarding, and other amenities that improve customers’ travel experience. In addition, the technology will provide greater flexibility and speed-to-market by introducing innovative new ancillary offers. Robin Kamark, Etihad’s Chief Commercial Officer said: “Our vision is to provide guests with the widest choice. We are proud to partner with Farelogix, a recognised leader in airline commerce technology, to realise this vision. The new partnership will help us in the journey towards the airline’s digital transformation that focuses on delivering modern retail experiences to customers around the globe.” In the near future Etihad plans to launch a full New Distribution Capability (NDC) enabled platform which will enable customers to visualise offerings through digital media such as images and videos, whether they are booking via travel agencies, meta-search engines, or other indirect channels.

Emirates and Jetstar Pacific have announced a new codeshare agreement, expanding the existing partnership between the Dubai-based carrier and Jetstar Group. The new partnership with the Ho Chi Minh City-based carrier allows Emirates’ passengers to enjoy connectivity on domestic flights within Vietnam, in addition to flights connecting Vietnam to Singapore, Thailand as well as Australia. The new codeshare services from Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi connect Emirates passengers to 14 Vietnamese cities beyond Ho Chi Minh City and six cities beyond Hanoi. Emirates will also operate codeshare flights with Jetstar Pacific between the latter’s hub in Ho Chi Minh City and Singapore, as well as Bangkok, both of which serve as connections for Emirates passengers continuing their travel to Brisbane, Melbourne or Sydney. The Vietnamese cities that are covered by the new codeshare routes include: Ban Me Thuot, Phuquoc, Dalat, Quinhon, Tamky-Chulai, Hue, Pleiku, Nha Trang, Vinh City, Tuy Hoa, Dong Hoi, Thanh Hoa, Haiphong, and Da Nang in addition to Ho Chi Minh City and Hanoi. Under the agreement, Emirates’ flight number will be placed on Jetstar Pacific’s services to all codeshare destinations. The codeshare partnership will give customers the simplicity of purchasing connecting flights using one reservation, and a smooth ticketing, check-in, boarding and baggage check experience during the entire journey.  Passengers booking flights from 16 destinations in Vietnam, in addition to Hong Kong, Osaka, Taipei, Singapore, Guangzhou and Bangkok will be able to connect in Ho Chi Minh City or Hanoi and fly with Emirates to many destinations worldwide.

The Luxury outbound travel market was attended by over 100 participants at the Sheraton Abu Dhabi Hotel and Resort.Rwanda Consulate was the main sponsor for the event with TravTalk Middle East as the exclusive media partner. It was a very informative and personalised experience for the many buyers and sellers who attended the event. Thailand tourism, Turkish tourism, Seychelles tourism, Azerbaijan tourism were present along with many international tour operators from US, Canada, Vietnam, etc with luxury properties from Seychelles, Rwanda, Georgia with Raviz centrepoint hotel  Dubai was the official hospitality partner of the event. Attendees such as Nirvana travels, Omeir travels, Kanoo travels, Al Naboodah and Cozmo travels, Al Arabi travel agency, Micco travels, Claviger, pluto travels, gezira travel,  are just some of the few names who attended the event. The most important of such events is the unique time factor with the buyer and seller having the liberty to decide to network with each other.  Mario Anthony Managing Director of Luxury Connections and organiser of the event welcomed the international sellers and buyers from the UAE and introduced the key note speaker VK Balaji Chief Operating Officer of TBO Holidays. Balaji mentioned that the travel sector in this part of the world has many opportunities and everyone will be able to avail a piece of business if the proper channeling is done.  

As part of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi’s (DCT Abu Dhabi) mandate to promote Abu Dhabi as a world-class destination of distinction, the capital city welcomed tour operators from the Egyptian Tourism Board from September 3 to 6, to highlight key tourism offerings in the emirate.  The 14 Egyptian tour operators along with other members of the Egyptian Tourism Board were treated to a tour of Abu Dhabi’s most impressive cultural and touristic sites as part of their trip, including Louvre Abu Dhabi and the recently opened Warner Bros World Abu Dhabi as well as many more sights. The trip included a networking session held on September 4, which commenced with a welcome note from Mubarak Al Nuaimi, Director of Promotions and Overseas Offices at DCT Abu Dhabi, followed by a presentation about Abu Dhabi as a destination and its product offerings. The day concluded with a networking session where top travel agents from Egypt had a chance to connect with local stakeholders in Abu Dhabi to share opportunities for exchange and collaboration. “Egypt is one of our important overseas markets for guests and has recorded significant increases over the past years,” said Al Nuaimi. “The first seven months of 2018 has reinforced this upward trend which reflects our efforts to attract more Egyptian visitors to our capital. Coupled with our marketing and promotional campaigns, this networking session helped showcase our world-class destination and rich diversity of cultures and attractions.”

Hilton’s Hampton by Hilton and wasl Asset Management Group, celebrated the hotel brand’s Middle East debut with the opening of Hampton by Hilton Dubai Airport. The contemporary 420-room hotel is the world’s largest till date and is located just a few kilometres away from the Dubai International Airport and the Dubai Airport Freezone Authority (DAFZA). The highly-anticipated property brings Hampton by Hilton’s signature value-added services and amenities for the first time to the region, with a free, hot breakfast with healthy options included in every stay, a 24/7 business centre, complimentary Wi-Fi and spacious rooms fitted with Hampton’s signature comfy bed. Tailored to meet the expectations of the regional market, Hampton by Hilton Dubai Airport also boasts a large infinity pool surrounded by lush green landscapes and a state-of-the-art rooftop gym with panoramic views of the Dubai skyline. Globally recognised for its unparalleled approach to hospitality and friendly, caring service culture known as ‘Hamptonality’, Hampton by Hilton aims to serve the region’s growing demand for mid-market hotels – particularly among millennial travellers, who are increasingly prioritising value in their search for accommodation.